


Westchester County Terrorfest

by HostisHumaniGeneris



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Gen, Haunted Houses, Superpowers, Trick or Treat: Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 07:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16445630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HostisHumaniGeneris/pseuds/HostisHumaniGeneris
Summary: Claire wasn't certain about attending this haunted house, she heard it was really scary.  But Greg was sure it was hype--how could a haunted house run by a bunch of school students be so terrifying?





	Westchester County Terrorfest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VampirePaladin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/gifts).



“I hear this place is supposed to be really scary.” Claire said, her hand tightening its grip on Greg's. 

“C’mon babe, it’s _supposed_ to be scary.  It’s a haunted house.” He said, returning her squeeze while picking up the pace.  When he saw that she was not happy with that answer, he smiled and reassured her.  “Besides, it’s a fundraiser for a school.  How scary can it be?”

They picked up their pace to the entrance, where a kid, maybe a few years younger than Greg, was working a register.  He held up a small card and gave a practiced speech about how they should not participate in the Westchester County Terrorfest if they had heart conditions.   He quickly handed over two tickets and change for Greg’s twenty bucks.

Greg looped his with Claire’s and led her past the desk and through the door, where another girl was shuffling a deck of tarot cards.  She nodded at the couple and gestured to a pair of seats.  Claire and Greg both took one.  “Before you enter for the fright of your life… allow Madame Grey to read your futures.”

‘Madame Grey’ looked to be about the same age as the ticket taker.  Was everyone here a student?  Greg opened his mouth to ask.

“Yes, we’re all students at Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters.” The redhead said with a nod.  Seeing Greg’s jaw drop, she quickly added “Almost everyone here’s asked me that.”

Then, realizing that ‘Madame Grey’ dropped character, ‘Madame Grey’ added.  “Or do they?”

That got a chuckle out of Greg, although he could tell that Claire was a little apprehensive.  The redhead spoke in obvious generalities, the two college students going to a haunted house were a couple, they wanted to have fun.  They would be facing their biggest fears, so were they prepared?

“Don’t worry, Claire” Greg said, leaning in.  “

“I dunno, Cindy and Joey said both times things were different, and they saw... stuff that really scared them.”

“Babe, they can’t know…” He knew that.  It was just luck; they probably did some random jump scares, just so that things were different and people couldn’t prepare for everything.

“Spiders.” Madame Grey said, scrutinizing a card she had picked up and then stuffing it back int the deck without showing them.  Claire flinched a little.  “Girl, you are scared of spiders, as for the gentleman…”

Madame Grey just smiled.

The house was nothing really.  Some motion activated lighting changes, fake cobwebs, a pop-up Jason standee that Claire jumped at.  She was gradually coming accustomed to the fact that this was just a bunch of jumpscares.    She began laughing it off, which he supposed was a good sign.  “I can’t believe that Cindy was so scared of this place.”

“Babe, what did I say?  Just a haunted house run by kids.  Nothing to worry about.” 

Her hair billowed in a sudden breeze, and she shuddered.  Guess she wasn’t quite over it after all.  “What was that?”

“Just the wind.”

“inside?!”

“Claire, this place is a pop-up thing.  It having a draft isn’t…” He began, then noticed the shocked expression on her face.  Her eyes were wide, and he followed her gaze to his shoulder, and he jumped.  It took him a second to realize that the big spider he knocked off of himself wasn’t real.  It bounced on the floor and laid, legs up.  He began chuckling, picking up the plastic spider, looking remarkably fake as he lifted it up.  “C’mon, it’s not even…”

He paused, just long enough for Claire to notice him staring at _her_ shoulder.  The fake spider was startling for him.  For her, the big, spindly-legged thing was _terrifying_.  She burst into a run down the hall.  He had to sprint to catch up to her, yelling “wait” the entire time.

“Claire, it’s just a fake plastic spider.  Nothing to worry about.”  He offered. 

“H-how did they get them on us?!” She demanded, which he was at a loss for.

“We probably got distracted by the strobe lights or something.” He suggested with a shrug.  “Look, Claire, there’s nothing to be worried ab…”

There.

Behind Claire.

Pale as a corpse, with a shock of red hair.  A rainbow polka-dotted white smock.  He was trembling as _it_ raised a bicycle horn Claire turned to look at it, asking “A clown?”

It honked the horn.

And Greg screamed.

* * *

Scott counted and recounted the stack of bills.  The haunted house was far less a fundraiser—Professor X was rich—and more a way to practice their skills.  Passing off their powers as sleight-of-hand, seeing if they could be active without causing a panic.

And it was pretty fun.

The guy burst out the exit door to the haunted house, carrying the girl, yelling his head off.  They tumbled into the grass outside, the guy staring, wall-eyed, back at the house.  Scott got up from his desk and walked over to them.  “You okay?”

They’d gone a little overboard this time, apparently.  The guy was just staring, face hardening in anger, before the girl started giggling. 

“Clowns?” She asked?  “I mean it wasn’t even a creepy clown… I mean all clowns are a little creepy, but he wasn’t bloody or holding a chainsaw or… the guy in the costume was like shorter than I am.  Clowns?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” He snapped, and she just laughed harder.  His face softened a little, then a lot, and he joined her, laying back into the grass, staring up and chuckling.  “Fucking clowns.”

“Don’t give me shit about spiders then, Greg.”  The girl said, taking a playful jab at his shoulder.  Both called each other a coward for a while as they caught their breath.  Scott gave them both a hand up, and the girl said.  “You really got us good.  How did you…”

“Just luck, I guess.” Scott nodded.  “Tell your friends to drop in.”

Returning to the front desk, Scott nodded at Peter, sitting in his chair, feet on his desk.  “You missed a spot.”

He wiped his face, where Scott indicated, frowning at the greasepaint on his fingers when he moved it away.  “Next time, you’re in the clown costume.”

“But you’re the star of the show!” Scott smirked.  “Nobody else would be fast enough to do that… except maybe Kurt.”

That shut Peter up for a moment, and Scott knew he’d have to brace himself for some type of super-speed prank sooner or later.  Whatever.

“So… it seems we have two more satisfied customers.” Jean said, stepping out form the second room.  She gave a smirk.  “I’m pleasantly surprised by the guy’s reaction.”

“He shrieked like a little girl and ran _through_ the last standee we had.” Peter said, disbelievingly.  Freddy Krueger had apparently frightened his last victims.  “How was that a pleasant surprise?”

“He carried the girl to safety.  So scared of clowns, I would’ve thought he’d throw her at you to make a break for it.” Jean said.  “Like when you wre the guy from Rocky Horror Picture show…”

“You said you were never going to mention that again!” Peter said, out of Scott’s chair and looking Jean eye-to-eye. 

“Mention what again?” Jean quirked her eyebrow.

Peter’s face scrunched up in confusion, went slack, then turned to Scott.  “What were we talking about again?”

“You’re a scary clown.” Scott said.  “Now get backstage, we have a few more people coming.”

When he was gone, Scott sighed and looked at Jean.  “You don’t have to work in him as Dr. Frank-n-furter every conversation you have with him, then make him forget it.”

“Alright, I won’t do it again…” Jean said, her grin turning devilish.  “…once Halloween is over.”

She went back to her room humming a few bars of ‘Sweet Transvestite’.


End file.
